Press Release – 26th March 2014
The Marc Newson Unbreakable Drinkware Collection by Palm Products is a winner in the Red Dot Award 2014 for high design quality
Palm Products from Australia convinced the 40-member expert panel for the Red Dot Award of its high design quality. In the current competition, the international experts discussed and evaluated 4,815 entries from 53 countries. But only designs which won over the jury with quality and innovative strength won an award. The unbreakable drinkware by Palm Products was successful and received the coveted Red Dot quality seal as its deserved reward.
On 7 July 2014, the highlight of the internationally renowned product competition will be celebrated in Essen, Germany: the presentation of the acclaimed Red Dot during the traditional Red Dot Gala and subsequent Designers’ Night. On that evening, roughly 1,200 guests from around the world gather in Essen in order to experience the awards ceremony. In the course of the party in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen, the winners’ exhibition will also be opened, presenting the award-winning Marc Newson Unbreakable Drinkware Collection to a wide audience for four weeks before it enters the museum’s permanent exhibition.
This collection is the result of a collaboration between the design skills of Marc Newson, who has been described as the most influential designer of his generation (www.marcnewson.com) and the engineering and production skills of Robert Wilson and his team at Palm Products. (www.palmproducts.com.au).
The objective was to create the world’s finest range of unbreakable drinkware.
Marc Newson’s sculptured shapes are beautiful, dramatic and unique. Their brilliance comes from their honesty, functionality and timelessness and their understanding of material limitations. They are a pleasure to hold. The curved shapes sit naturally in the hand and they feel balanced with their glass-like weighed sections. They have a non-confrontational human quality. People seem to gravitate to them and enjoy handling them.
Competitors typically use single-shot moulding technology. This collection uses co-moulding as a disruptive technology to enhance visual and functional design.
The collections unique co-moulded coloured base and optional tinted top adds drama, individuality and facilitates customization for the mass market.
Superior functionality for indoor/outdoor use was the starting point for the design. Attention to detail and the use of co-moulding technology has assisted the range fulfil its intended purpose with a completeness that has not been achieved previously.
The shapes are compact and have a low centre of gravity. The co-moulded base is non-slip and also glows-in-the-dark (green only).
The materials used are dishwasher safe and unbreakable.
The execution lives up to the promise of the design, with glass-like clarity and industry leading shut-lines.
Flexible, automated production cells facilitate economic production and mass customization.
Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of Red Dot, on the decision process in the Red Dot Award: “The 40 experts assessed the quality of the entries with the utmost care and attention. Due to their backgrounds, they also assessed the special cultural aspects of the designs from 53 countries. But only the best products receive an award from the jury. This is especially reflected in the percentage of successful entries in the Red Dot Award, which is much smaller in contrast to other international design competitions. Therefore, the winners can be proud of their achievements – with their entries, they stood out from the rest and were able to pass the test in front of the critical eyes of the experts. This success will be perceptible during the Red Dot Gala, when the laureates will receive the recognition of the international audience.”
The award-winning products in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen
With around 2,000 exhibits spread over an area of more than 4,000 square metres, the Red Dot Design Museum houses the largest exhibition of contemporary design worldwide. The award-winning products from the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 will be presented in an impressive special exhibition from 8 July to 3 August 2014. Since touching and testing is expressly encouraged in the hands-on exhibition, visitors experience the current best achievements at close quarters in “Design on Stage”. This way, design enthusiasts can find out about the trends in international product design and assure themselves of the good quality of Marc Newson Unbreakable Drinkware Collection by Palm products.
The Red Dot Design Award
With the Red Dot Design Award, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen created an internationally renowned product competition. Its prize, the Red Dot, has established itself worldwide as one of the most sought-after quality marks for excellent design. The Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen displays the award-winning products in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen for at least one year.
In order to appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award breaks down into the three disciplines Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept.
Further information at: www.red-dot.de/press